Iran is creating a volunteer force called ‘Janfadaye Iran’. The battalion structure has already been established. Photo: Courtesy of The Cradle
The Iranian government recently held an exceptional and unprecedented military exercise, in which no regular military personnel participated. Only ordinary citizens of the country participated. The exercise took place a few days after the 46th anniversary of the start of the 8-year Iran-Iraq war. In 1980, the late Iraqi dictator President Saddam Hussein imposed this war on the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran has always referred to this bloody war of 1980-1988 as a “holy defense.”
The drill, titled “Janfadaye Iran” (Sacrifice for Iran), was held at the Mohammad Rasoolullah headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran on Friday, September 18. Thousands of men and women participated in the event, a joint initiative of the IRGC and the Basij volunteer force. Its commander, Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, said that 500,000 people had registered for the event, although organizers had initially expected 313,000 to participate.
The beginning of the ‘Zanfadayan-e Iran’ or mass movement
This campaign was not originally an attempt to form a conventional military force, but rather a wartime registration program and mass movement that began in the context of the war against the United States and Israel in March 2026. Through it, civilians were given the opportunity to directly express their readiness to serve the country.
Initially, its main goal was to identify volunteers willing to assist the Iranian armed forces. However, over time, it has taken on an unprecedented form. According to relevant officials, more than 31.6 million Iranian citizens have registered for the campaign, which has surprised the authorities themselves and been widely discussed in the country’s domestic media. Even Islamist supporters abroad have expressed interest in joining. 32 percent of these volunteers are women and most of them are under the age of 46. Although the armed forces have not yet officially announced whether these volunteers have been directly deployed in defensive operations, there have been reports of their use around southern ports and islands in the Persian Gulf.
New forces to protect the home front
Six months into the campaign, policymakers are planning how to use this massive manpower to defend cities and towns. If the US and Israel launch a new offensive, the force will be used to hold the internal front against separatist cells and armed insurgents, allowing the regular army and IRGC to focus their full attention on the external enemy.
The plan was drawn from the experience of the unrest in January 2026, when violence erupted in several Iranian cities, which Tehran alleges were directly instigated by the United States, Israel, and Mossad. Israeli media outlets have also discussed Tel Aviv’s cooperation with banned Kurdish and Baluch separatist groups in Iran’s northwest and southeast.
Billboards on various streets in Tehran displayed pictures of shoulder-fired weapons or sniper rifles and asked, “Do you know how to use them?” The message clearly states that the IRGC and Basij want to build a trained volunteer force that will ensure domestic security in times of crisis. 26 percent of these volunteers have indicated their readiness to participate in security and military work, 20 percent in relief and rescue work, and the remaining 20 percent in social work.
Why so many people participate spontaneously?
For more than 200 consecutive nights since the US-Israeli invasion, ordinary people have gathered in Ekhtiariyeh Square in northern Tehran to show their support for the state, defying both the weather and the threat of attacks on defense industry buildings.
“I want the enemy to see that the Iranians are still on the ground, that they have not retreated,” said Sadiqeh, a 54-year-old teacher who took part in the registration. Another participant, Hossein, a 39-year-old private sector employee, said, “This campaign shows the world the strength, resilience and legitimacy of the Islamic Republic.”
“Without the homeland, there is no religion,” said Bahadori, a 51-year-old Shiite cleric and imam at a mosque in central Tehran. He recalled the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) saying, “Love for the homeland is part of faith.”
Plans to form a thousand battalions
The exercise is planned to be held beyond Tehran’s borders to the capital and other provinces. After initial training, the volunteers will be organized into 1,000 “national resistance” battalions across the country. This will transform this wartime mass commitment into a well-organized reserve force that will serve as an impenetrable wall in any future conflict in the country.